‘Rogue’ by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Autistic representation matters to me in fiction, and the fact that this book’s author is, herself, on the autism spectrum made it even more appealing to read.

I found a lot to relate to with Kiara, the protagonist of this book. Like her, I struggled with making friends in school. I would pin my hope on new arrivals to the school, people not yet indoctrinated to the “norm” that I was to be ostracized and shunned — only to have them abandon me once they figured out that I was the kid no one liked.

Kiara’s desperation to make friends makes her vulnerable to bad influence.

A new boy, Chad, is forced by his parents to help them manufacture drugs. They set him or his little brother to keep look-out for them, hours at a time, in the park, even during extreme weather.
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Chad’s father also makes unscrupulous use of Kiara’s isolation from other kids. He pressures Chad to involve Kiara in illegal activities — and so the two of them go from pharmacy to pharmacy, purchasing supplies for making drugs.

Kiara catches on and stands up for herself, but on the very next occasion, Chad goes with her on a bike ride to explore local trails ... only to pack hazardous chemicals for disposal in both bikes’ saddlebags.

This story is populated with well-developed characters. Chad, for example, hates what he has to do, but doesn’t really see a way out of it. If it was just him, he would be glad to run away, but he feels that he has to protect his younger brother.

Because of its mature theme of drug-manufacturing, this book would be best for readers in middle-grade and older. Its themes of struggling to connect with people are ones that many readers will be able to relate to.

Disclosure of material connection: My taxes support local libraries’ acquisition of this and other resources. I consider the access I enjoy to be a “priceless” return on my investment.